Arenas operating with skeleton staff. Side streets not plowed. Frozen garbage mounting up. The threat of civic labour disruption — the winter edition — was on everyone’s lips at City Hall on Tuesday, even if both sides spoke of their desire to come to a settlement in contract discussions. While CUPE Local 416 has accused Mayor Rob Ford of a “wholesale attack” on the collective agreement, city officials are preparing for a possible lockout or strike. With the contracts of more than 23,000 inside and outside city workers expiring on Dec. 31, the Post’s Natalie Alcoba rounds up some of the chatter.

“I’m hoping there is no such lockout or strike. We want to negotiate a fair and square settlement that’s fair to the taxpayers, fair to the workers. I think we can accomplish this. It doesn’t help if the union runs off to the media, but, nevertheless, if they just get back to the table and work on behalf of their own workers, as they should be doing, I think we can resolve a lot of these issues.” Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday

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“I would suggest this administration has been not realistic in their expectations at the bargaining table and we felt an obligation to let the public know exactly how reckless this administration was being at the bargaining table.” Mark Ferguson, president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 416, who says it’s not planning a strike

“I think this notion of essentially jobs for life, I don’t think it’s a realistic thing to have going forward. I think it takes away a lot of discipline that both workers and management need to make sure jobs are being done and they’re being done well. Most places, people don’t have that kind of job security. Other than university professors, who does?”Councillor Peter Milczyn, a Ford ally, referring to the job security clause the administration wants to scrap.

“The Mayor is playing chicken with the city and once again is resorting to slogans…. They think they’re being very clever to have a lockout in the winter because they avoid smelly garbage. I can tell you that frozen garbage creates a bigger problem for trucks and residents trying to get what becomes huge chunks of ice both to the curb and then compacted in the trucks.” Councillor Adam Vaughan, a Ford foe.

“In the past we’ve always been there when the city needs us, we kept the city clean, safe and functioning…. We’re not a union, we’re a professional management group, and we will continue to provide service to the citizens of Toronto, but we’re going to be monitoring so that there is no abuse and that people are treated fairly.” Richard Majkot, executive director of COTAPSA, which represents most of the city’s 3,500 non-union employees. During the 2009 strike, management stepped in to continue providing essential services.